The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for gripping, conveying and releasing printed products, particularly those occurring in a stream or scale flow by means of an endless link or roller chain driven in revolving manner and gripping and clamping members operatively connected thereto.
Swiss Pat. No. 592 562 discloses a conveyor for printed products or the like occurring in a stream or scale flow, in which are provided on a revolving tension member (link chain) spaced grippers having an upper and a lower clamping tongue. In this apparatus, the individual grippers are brought up to the stream formation in such a way that the upper clamping tongue engages over the edge of the copy to be grasped and subsequently, as a result of a rotary movement, the lower tongue is swung under the edge of the copy. The two clamping tongues are then brought into the closed position either by pressing the gripper against a substrate or by spring tension.
The prior art also includes three-dimensional modern link chains, which can be driven and moved at a relatively high speed (e.g. Swiss Pat. No. 538 065), which are suitable for overcoming topologically difficult conveying paths and which comprise a plurality of operatively interconnected chain links, which are mounted in spherical segment-like articulations.
An object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for performing it, whilst using an endless link chain, particularly the aforementioned modern, three-dimensionally movable endless link chain, far functionally picking up at relatively short intervals corresponding printed products at a transfer point, conveying them over difficult path configurations and automatically releasing the same at the predetermined delivery point.
The inventive method is characterized in that a single gripping and clamping member in the vicinity of a transfer and delivery point is so operated by correspondingly arranged and associated control members that for gripping and releasing the individual printed product at least one springy clamping arm is raised relative to a bearing arm and, for conveying purposes, on leaving the control members is returned by the springy restoring force in snap-like manner into the closed position.
The inventive apparatus for performing the method comprise gripping and clamping members arranged on an endless link chain and operatively connected thereto, characterized in that the individual gripping and clamping member is constructed in one piece and has a central fixing arm, a bearing arm located on one side with respect thereto and a spring arm arranged on the other side with respect thereto, as well as a clamping arm engaging under pretension on the bearing arm in the closed position, the spring arm with the clamping arm being transferable by suitable control means from the closed position into an open position and returnable to the closed position again by the springy restoring force of the spring arm.